Chi Concentrations

Each kung fu style is based on one or two methods of using Chi, called chi concentrations. The full list of these is:

• Spirit
  • Building Chi
  • Chi Control
  • Focusing Chi
• Body
  • Power
  • Speed
  • Toughness
• Mind
  • Awareness
  • Meditation
  • Mysticism

The Chi Concentration exploits available for practitioners of styles utilizing these follow:

Races

Races

The time has come to discuss races in Dragon In Ninth Heaven. There are a variety of racial options in the genre, like fox spirits, but I don’t want to extend the game there yet – there’s enough detail just in the things discussed so far!

Racial traits

Height (range)

Weight (range)

Ability scores: +2 to two stats

Size: Medium

Speed: 6 Squares

Vision: Normal

Languages: Common and one other

Skill bonuses: +2 to two skills

3 racial traits, usually one as a power

Racial trait examples:

When you’re bloodied, you gain a +1 racial bonus to attack rolls

Your healing surge value is equal to one-quarter of your maximum hit points + your Constitution modifier.

+5 racial bonus to saving throws against poison.

You can use your second wind as a minor action instead of a standard action

You move at your normal speed even when it would normally be reduced by armor or a heavy load. Other effects that limit speed (such as difficult terrain or magical effects) affect you normally.

When an effect forces you to move—through a pull, a push, or a slide—you can move 1 square less than the effect specifies. This means an effect that normally pulls, pushes, or slides a target 1 square does not force you to move unless you want to. In addition, when an attack would knock you prone, you can immediately make a saving throw to avoid falling prone.

You gain training in one additional skill selected from the skill list in Chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook.

You can use elven accuracy as an encounter power (reroll an attack roll, using the second roll).

At 1st level, you choose an at-will power from a class different from yours. You can use that power as an encounter power

You grant allies within 10 squares of you a +1 racial bonus to Diplomacy checks.

You gain a +5 racial bonus to saving throws against fear.

You gain a +2 racial bonus to AC against opportunity attacks.

You can use second chance as an encounter power (force enemies to reroll an attack that hits you, they use the second roll even if it is lower).

You know one extra at-will power from your class.

You gain a bonus feat at 1st level. You must meet the feat’s prerequisites

+1 to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses.

You gain a +1 racial bonus to attack rolls against bloodied foes.

You can use infernal wrath as an encounter power (gain +1 to hit an enemy who has hit you in the last turn, add a stat modifier to the damage if it hits)

You have a +1 bonus to all defenses against attacks made by bloodied creatures

When you make an Athletics check to jump or climb, roll twice and use either result.

You have a +1 racial bonus to Will.

You gain a +2 bonus to speed when charging.

The first time you are bloodied during an encounter, you gain 5 temporary hit points. The temporary hit points increase to 10 at 11th level and to 15 at 21st level.

You have the furious assault encounter power (attacks that hit deal and additional 1[W] or 1d8 damage)

The time has come to discuss races in Dragon In Ninth Heaven. There are a variety of racial options in the genre, like fox spirits, but I don’t want to extend the game there yet – there’s enough detail just in the things discussed so far!

A race definition in D&D 4E looks as follows:

Racial traits
Height: (range)
Weight: (range)
Ability scores: +2 to two stats
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 Squares
Vision: Normal
Languages: Common and one other
Skill bonuses: +2 to two skills
3 racial traits, usually one as a power

There is some variation to the individual races (like humans only getting a bonus to one statistic), but the end result seems moderately balanced. Reductions in one area usually result in additional or more powerful racial traits.

Lightfoot

The previous post talked about chi skills, but I believe that Lighfoot, an important movement power, needs more discussion. Here is the definition of the Lightfoot skill from the d20 version of Dragon In Ninth Heaven:

Lightfoot

Lightfoot is a movement-based skill, allowing the user to leap great distances, run up walls and even change direction in midair. The specific powers are:

• Allows increased move speed, DC 10 for +5 ft. move, DC 20 for +10 ft. move and DC 30 for +15 ft. move.
• The Lightfoot skill acts as a competence bonus to the Jump skill and removes all limitations imposed on the distance of a jump by a character’s height. Jumps that are longer than a character’s movement speed are possible, and will leave the character in mid air until their next action, when they can finish their movement.
• Lower body weight, allowing travel over fragile objects (eg. water, tree leaves) and up and down as though they were normal ground. A DC of 20 is required for movement at half speed and a DC of 25 enables travel at full speed.
• Changes of direction in midair require a skill check with DC 25. If this skill check is failed then the character will immediately drop to the ground.
• Slow fall, reducing the distance of the fall by 5 ft. per 5 DC.

Only one Lightfoot skill check is required each round, and the character may use any ability that has a DC lower than the skill roll. Activating Lightfoot is a free action.

Chi skills

There are several skills that deal specifically with Chi in Dragon In Ninth Heaven, and I want to explore how they should be dealt with in this edition of the game. The list of skills that matter from the older editions are:

• Lightfoot
• Chi Awareness
• Chi Healing
• Chi Channelling

Stances

I have previously discussed stances, but I want to go into more detail today.

Stances are a particular type of daily power. They are used by the Barbarian (rage powers), Warden and Monk, and start with a powerful attack and provide ongoing benefits for the rest of the encounter. This is a perfect mechanic for Dragon In Ninth Heaven, fitting into the style of a class or kung fu system. Here’s an example from the Monk class:

Way of the Winter, Wind Monk Attack 15
You spring into the air and perform a roundhouse kick, creating a bitter draft. You dance on the wind as it washes over your foes, draining their strength.
Daily ✦ Cold, Implement, Psionic, Stance
Standard Action Close burst 2
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Dexterity vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d6 + Dexterity modifier cold damage, and the target is weakened (save ends).
Miss: Half damage, and the target is weakened until the end of your next turn.
Effect: You assume the autumn wind stance. Until the stance ends, whenever you are hit by an attack, you can shift 2 squares as an immediate reaction.

Armour

In my previous post I discussed weapons and how unarmed attacks could work in Dragon In Ninth Heaven. This post will discuss armour. Many of the same issues with weapons apply to armour in the D&D game:

• AC changes based on class role
  • Light +2AC
  • Medium +4AC
  • Heavy +6 to +8
• The AC of armour increases by 2-5 points in each armour type in the paragon and epic tiers
• Armour enchantments are expected
• Characters are expected to have magical armour as they progress, this is built into encounter design and the way attack powers scale

In the Dragon Tiger Gate comics (and other related sources like Heaven Sword, Dragon Sabre, The Four Constables, Hero, Storm Riders, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, etc.) armour is very rare on characters, and usually cosmetic. In fact, when a character does wear armour, it is usually destroyed mid battle.

So how should this be handed in the game?

Weapons

In the last post I mentioned that I wanted to discuss weapons. Moving into a game that has a focus on unarmed combat has significant problems integrating with the D&D model. Some of the problems that need addressing are:

• Different classes and roles have access to weapons with varying damage dice. This ranges from 1d4 to 2d6 in the Player’s Handbook.
• Magical weapons are a fundamental part of the D&D game. Treasure acquisition and equipment upgrades are part of player motivation and enjoyment.
• Weapons have varying proficiency bonuses (+2 or +3 in most cases) and also provide valuable weapon properties like high critical strike damage and reach.
• Changing weapons requires a minor action – is this of any significance?
• Weapons cost money to acquire, and can be disarmed.

All of these issues need to be discussed and a resolution provided. More after the break.

Power level

In the previous version of Dragon In Ninth Heaven, there was a deliberate attempt to escalate the power level of characters. This was aimed at matching the power demonstrated by the characters in the source comics. It was achieved by using “chi allocation”, where a character used their internal energy to increase the damage of their strikes, and reduce the damage of incoming strikes. This is a very common theme in Chinese martial arts which is particularly emphasised in the comic and cinema mediums.

As characters become more and more powerful, their abilities relative to each other remain roughly the same. However, opponents of lower levels quickly become insignificant threats and the environment quickly becomes a canvas that shows the effects of any battle.

For the D&D 4E version of the game I am wondering if this is necessary.

Details of how a kung fu style works – first draft

Today I am going to detail the framework for incorporating kung fu with classes in Dragon In Ninth Heaven. This follows on from the previous post, and I have included a few ideas from Cy, one of the commenters.

Here’s a summary of how kung fu will be integrated into the system, and that will be followed by a worked example.

Each class will have the Kung Fu class feature. This class feature requires the character to choose a kung fu style, and that grants them access to specific powers. The basic powers granted by a kung fu style are based on the chi concentrations (refer here for details) the style is based on – effectively whether the style is internal (like tai chi) or external (like muay thai). If a style includes more than one chi concentration, then powers may be chosen from both sources. Individual styles will place limitations on the powers that may be chosen (more for flavour than any game balance reason).

These basic powers are:

1. Concentrate Chi – twice per encounter a character may use a Chi encounter power
2. One Chi encounter power specific to the kung fu style, but based on the chi concentration of the style (some styles will grant a feat instead)
3. A utility power or a feat
4. Training in several basic fighting techniques – at will attacks. More on this later.

In addition to this list, every class will grant one Chi encounter power at first level. This is a class specific power.

Roles

Martial arts characters easily fit into the Striker and Defender roles for classes. The examples of the Bard and Warlord give some direction for leaders in the game (since I picture this as a game without much magical healing). There are some challenges filling the Controller role.

Controllers usually have powers that:

• affect areas
• have long range
• force movement or cause movement impairing effects

All of this is possible with some of the kung fu styles that exist in the older version of Dragon In Ninth Heaven. The Master of the Holy Flame and Master of the Ghostly Form prestige classes and the Glorious Lotus kung fu style (only in the supplement) all have elements of this. Clearly there is more work required, and this would require a specialist kung fu style to go with it.

Bear with me while I take a detour…

In previous versions of Dragon In Ninth Heaven, a character could choose any kung fu style they wished, regardless of their class. The style granted a few attack powers and granted access to some feats. The basics of the class did not change, and were not influenced by the kung fu style chosen. This was a deliberate choice, as I wanted all kung fu styles to be available to any character.

With the way that D&D 4E works, granting exploits at various levels, I’m not sure that allowing this separation of class and kung fu style makes sense any longer.

After going through this thought process, I think I’ll go with a structure as follows:

• Classes belong to a role (as usual)
• Kung fu styles provide a distinctive flavour, and will be tied directly to a class
  • A style may be limited to a role, rather than a class. This would allow balancing of powers relative to the amount of damage that a role does, or the power types that a particular role has access to.
• Each class will have access to at least one kung fu style, preferably more.

The specific classes which apply to each role will be the subject of a future post, but here’s a few rough ideas that I have at the moment. Kung fu styles and the classes are overlapping here because I’m not sure if I want to separate them yet:

• Striker
  • mobile, skirmishing fighter who delivers high damage strikes to a single target
  • kicking based kung fu style which concentrates on multiple strikes and multiple opponents
  • kung fu style that is based on ranged, chi based attacks
  • kung fu style that inflicts damage over time using poisons or crippling strikes
• Defender
  • power based kung fu style that is based on counterstrikes
  • martial artist who concentrates on throws and moving opponents across the battlefield
  • a hard kung fu style that focuses on being able to resist strikes
• Leader
  • not sure yet, I need some more research here
• Controller
  • kung fu style that is based on circular, ranged, chi based attacks, entangling and tripping opponents
  • A mystical style that damages the environment, causing damage and maiming opponents who enter those zones